Glossary
Gospel: English translation of the Greek (New Testament) term evangelion,
meaning “good news.” This is a central term in the theology of Luther, who
insists on a strong contrast between Law and Gospel because Law can only
tell people how to be righteous, and thereby condemn them for not doing
what they’re told, whereas the Gospel makes them righteous by giving
Christ to all those who receive him by faith.grace: A New Testament term for the unmerited mercy of God used by
Christian theologians as a label for the power of God to redeem and
transform human beings, it is an especially important term in Augustinian
theology. (See created grace, infused, irresistible grace, prevenient grace,
sanctifying grace, and supernatural.)Great Awakening: A period of religious revival in the early 1740s in
colonial America, in which Jonathan Edwards was a leading theologian.Great Church: A name that mainstream Christianity gave itself in the ¿ rst
few centuries, in contrast to sects and heresies.Halfway Covenant: Policy agreed upon by most of the Puritan
(Congregationalist) churches in New England in 1662, allowing the baptized
children of church members to join the church without being converted.Harrowing of Hell: The traditional teaching that after his death the soul of
Jesus descended into hell, rescued the souls of those who believed in him,
and later brought them to heaven.hedonism: From the Greek word for “pleasure,” hedone, the view in ancient
philosophy that happiness is a feeling, that is, a good feeling—pleasure. (It
does not mean living a wild party life. In fact, the most important hedonist
philosophers, the Epicureans, believed that a quiet and tranquil life was the
most pleasant and therefore the happiest.)